It was English class, the start of the day when I usually have a devotional prepared for them. Today, I didn't so I asked Lara, one of the the ELL support teachers for my class & my prayer partner, to do a short devotional about what she told me the other day of how God has been faithful to her this year.
After she gave the devotional a student raised their hand and asked, "Could you tell us how and when you became a Christian? Miss Mitchell told us her story yesterday." So, Lara gave a 5 minute quick testimony to the kids. Then I thought it'd be great to share with them part of what God spoke to me the other day. It wasn't just for me but for them and for YOU too.
I encourage you to read it slowly...God wants to speak to your heart also. Here it is:
I love you so much that it hurts. That it hurt my hands, it hurt my feet, I was thirsty and hungry. They placed a crown on my head with thorns that dug into my scalp. I could feel my own blood dripping down my face.
They mocked me. They told me to save myself if I'm really the Messiah. I was tempted. You know I could've. By just one word, I could've come down. But then I remembered how much I love YOU. I remembered how much I wanted to be in a relationship with you again. And then, I took my last breath and died. I died for YOU. The gun was aimed at YOU, the trigger was pulled, but I stepped in front and took the bullet. I died for YOU. But then I rose again. By the power of God I came back alive for YOU.
I'm here. I'm by your side. I can hear you. Your joys, your pains, your tears, your fears, and your laughter. I know your thoughts and I want to tell you and remind you how much I love you. Do not worry about anything. I'm here. And I am coming for YOU again! I am coming! When I come I will bring you home. To a place with no more sadness and tears but only joy and laughter. Where we will enjoy each others presence forever.
Then, I had them place their heads on their desks and take time to talk with God and be open to listen to what He had to tell them. I was then prompted by the Holy Spirit to tell them individually, by name, how much God loves them and desires to be in relationship with them. That was the quietest, stillest, most behaved I have seen them all year.
Lara went and got the guitar and started playing and we sang the song "How He Loves" while the kids were praying with their heads on their desk. It turned into "Oh How He loves us..." to "Oh How He loves you...." ending with "Jesus tells you 'Oh how I love you..'"
Then we prayed again and said amen. As the kids heads popped up from their desks you could see puffy eyes glossed over and kids wiping tears away. I realized we only had 10 minutes of class left so we took time to debreif on what just happened, what they learned, and what they felt.
I'd like to share a few of their responses:
"I felt a hand on my shoulder."
"I feel lighter."
"I feel different."
"I learned how much God loves me."
"I felt someone hugging me."
"I saw God."
"I feel like I have a new body."
"Instead of connecting with the cable of my head, I connected with the cable of my heart."
"I learned how much I am forgiven. I saw that all my sin is gone."
Praise. God.
What a beautiful way to end the semester. I pray that God would use what happened today as a beginning to a beautiful heart change process. It's been a rough first semester with these students but God has given me and shown me how much He loves each and every one of them and how I need to continue to "Walk in Love" and share with them the love that He has given all of us for free through His Son, Jesus!
Little by little, one moment, one day at a time, God is at work and doing great things in these 5th grade students' lives. Continue to pray along with me that these students would grow a huge love for their Savior, not to earn anything from Him, but because of the free gift of grace He has given us, and that they would want to live and do everything for Him and His glory.
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